Here's a guide to picking the best potato variety for mashing, baking, or frying

I'm picky about my apples (Fujis are my favorite because they are so crispy), but I've always been indiscriminate about potatoes for my entire grocery-buying life. I know the difference between a sweet potato and a non-sweet potato, of course, but that's the extent of my knowledge. When I go potato shopping, I just grab spuds willy-nilly and hope for the best.

But after watching Ethan Chlebowski's video titled "What Potato is the best for Frying, Roasting, Mashing, and Baking?" I feel like I've earned a master's degree in tuberology.

Chlebowski put different potato varieties through rigorous testing. His first test was to try making mashed potatoes using Red, Russet, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Each batch was boiled in salted water and enriched with precisely 15g of butter — no cream or milk allowed. Red potatoes resulted in the smoothest mashed potatoes, though they had a tendency to become gummy. Russet and Yukon Gold potatoes were slightly grainy but still acceptable.

Chlebowski used the same three varieties to make French fries. Russets produced the best results. Reds came in second. Yukon Golds browned quickly but struggled to achieve the desired crispiness.

In the potato chip challenge, Yukon Golds suffered from soft spots, Red potatoes took on an unusual brown hue while maintaining good texture, and Russets produced chips reminiscent of store-bought kettle varieties.

Here's Chlebowski's personal preference list for potato varieties in different situations:

Red potatoes: For boiling and mixing with butter and parsley (for visual contrast)
Russet potatoes: Primarily for french fries
Yukon Gold: Preferred for mashed potatoes
Fingerling potatoes: Favorite for roasted potatoes

My takeaway: Russets are now my Fujis of the potato world.